Mindanao Conflict Uproots Tens of Thousands

More than 120,000 people have fled their homes in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao, as fighting between government troops and Muslim rebels intensifies. Food and shelter are urgently needed.

Government sources indicate that more that 123,000 people, or 24,700 families, have been forced to flee their homes due to the fighting as of March 17, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said in a statement.

The clashes have affected people from 13 municipalities and as a result, a state of calamity has been declared in Maguindanao, a province located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) - the country's second biggest and southernmost major island - which has been the scene of a Muslim separatist conflict over the past 40 years.

Where to go?

Families are now living in evacuation centers, schools, madrasahs (Islamic educational centers), covered courts, tents and with host relatives and friends, says the IOM, adding that more than 2,200 pregnant women in evacuation centers are in need of medical support, while classes in 42 public elementary and high schools have been affected.

The fighting in the area follows a bloody anti-terror operation on January 25

The intergovernmental organization also indicate that the displaced families are constantly exposed to a number of hazards and risks, as many of them have installed tents under trees, along the roads and nearby military sites with artillery installations.

Moreover, there seem to be other organizational challenges. For instance, Besim Ajeti, IOM Head of the Cotabato Office, explains that it has become increasingly difficult for those in charge to track some of families as they transfer from one evacuation site to another.

Mindanao is home to the biggest and most relevant Muslim minority in the archipelago, the indigenous Moro people. Created in 1989, the ARMM is composed of five predominantly Muslim provinces and is the only region that has its own government.

Supplies may soon run out

The ARMM government has begun distributing food packs and a few plastic sheets (tarpaulins) to those affected. But as Ajeti pointed out, "Food supplies from government agencies may run out in less than 20 days, considering the limited funds available."

Aquino facing 'biggest crisis' as Philippine president

Dozens of police officers were killed in an anti-terror raid that has dented the popularity of Philippine President Benigno Aquino, rendering major reforms unlikely during the rest of his term, says analyst Alecia Quah. (19.02.2015)

Is the Philippines peace process in jeopardy?

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Philippines attacks: A rebel group's last stand

Currently, the ARMM is spending approximately PHP 13 million (USD 290,000) per week to support the displaced families, mainly on food assistance, according to IOM. But an IOM assessment reveals the need is much larger: Food, non-food items, emergency shelter support, latrines, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, kitchen utensils, mosquito nets, jerry cans, clothing and safe water (drinking, cooking and general use), are urgently needed.

In addition, evacuation center support, displacement tracking, medical personnel and supplies, psychosocial support as well as mechanisms for addressing protection were recognized as key priorities to continue assisting the affected populations in Maguindanao.

The fighting continues

In the meantime, more than 50 militants have reportedly been killed in attacks launched by the Philippine military last month against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a Muslim rebel group seeking independence.

The fighting in the area follows a bloody anti-terror operation on January 25 aimed at capturing or killing a top Islamist militant. But the raid took a turn for the worse, ending in the killing of 44 police commandos. The police were killed by members of the country's biggest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and its breakaway group, the BIFF, when they entered rebel-controlled territory.

It was the government's biggest single-day combat loss in recent memory, prompting calls for retribution which could potentially threaten a peace deal, which entails the establishment of a more powerful autonomous region for minority Muslims in the south of the Catholic-majority nation.

But the botched raid, which took place in Mamasapano, Maguindanao Province, has also triggered a wave of outrage in the Southeast Asian nation. Public opposition to the granting of further concessions to the MILF has stiffened and the administration of President Benigno Aquino has been shaken, with opposition lawmakers calling for the president's impeachment.

(C) 2015 Deutsche Welle

Woman Tied to Philippine Graft Scandal Surrenders

A wealthy businesswoman at the center of a corruption scandal has surrendered to Philippine President Benigno Aquino III three days after a large protest in Manila to condemn large-scale graft allegations in a country long mired in poverty.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said he fetched Janet Lim-Napoles, accompanied by her lawyer, late Wednesday in a cemetery. She was then brought to the Malacanang presidential palace to briefly meet Aquino before she was turned over to police. Her lawyer said she had received death threats and wanted to be assured of her safety.

Napoles has been accused of illegally detaining a former aide who accused her of stealing huge amounts of government development funds, derisively called pork-barrel funds, in conspiracy with powerful lawmakers. She has denied any wrongdoing but was ordered arrested by authorities, with Aquino announcing a 10 million peso ($227,000) bounty for her capture.

Philippine media reports of her lavish lifestyle, including the alleged ownership of an array of elegant houses and condominiums, have angered many Filipinos in a country where nearly a third of the 97 million people live on a little over a dollar a day and about a tenth have left the country in search of jobs and better opportunities abroad.

Amid an outrage expressed on social media, tens of thousands of Filipinos massed up at Manila's Rizal Park Monday to demand the scrapping of the corruption-tainted development fund and called on Aquino to crack down harder on corruption. Aquino, son of revered pro-democracy champions, rose to power in 2010 with a landslide victory on a promise to fight corruption and poverty.

It was one of the largest rallies seen in the Philippines since the huge protests that hounded Aquino's predecessor Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who faced allegations of massive corruption. Arroyo has denied any wrongdoing but has been detained in a hospital on corruption and election fraud charges.

Stamp Out Corruption at Its Root

While the brouhaha brought on by the Arroyo arrest drama continues, it will be well for us if we stopped for a while and pulled back a little to see the big picture in all this. While it is true that Malacanang is currently focused on former President Gloria Arroyo who has been charged with electoral sabotage, she is but a part of the grand whole, that is, an entire system of corruption that has allowed her and her ilk to take the entire country down the road of decay and disarray. After all, Arroyo did not invent cheating at the polls - it was there long before she came to power, and if we are not careful, it can be still part of our collective lives long after she is gone.

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One of the biggest mistakes our people have made in the years after the 1986 People Power uprising was the continued dependence on personalities to lead us instead of putting up a cohesive system that would guide us no matter who is at the helm. Each president that has arisen since martial law has made a sort of cult around himself and herself, such that their respective administrations had risen or fallen on their strenghts alone. This has been especially true of Presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo, who ruled with own brand of iron fists that ultimately led to heir downfall. With personalities playing too strong a role in politics , it was inevitable that the democratic system itself would become weakened - too weakened to respond when it is abused.

It is thus incumbent upon the current president to disabuse the minds of the people that he and he alone holds the answer to every problem we are facing. To his credit he has done that, but he must be careful also to see to it that the system is strenghened and not just used to prosecute past sins. We understand President Aquino's fervor in running after Mrs. Arroyo; after all, that is a campaign promise that he intends to keep. But if all he does is drive his predecessor to prison, then he shall have missed out on the chance, to institute real change in Filipino politics and society. Corruption is not a one-man or one-woman operation, and singling out specific individuals can only go so far. What government must do is run after the core of problem and stamp it out at the very root. Otherwise we will be doomed to live the same spectacle we are currently experiencing over and over again.

 

(Today's - December 8, 2011 Editorial "Mindanao Daily Mirror" published also here with friendly permission of my publisher and Editor-in-Chief "Tita" Marietta Siongco).

Now is the Time for PEACE!

(PNA) - Saying the Filipino is weary of all the fighting, discord, and senseless armed combat characteristic of the growing gap between the government and members of the rebel groups, President Benigo Aquino called on all the stakeholders and concerned citizens to rally behind his administration and support  the resumption of peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) taking place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The President made the call during the "Ilaw ng Kapayapaan" (Light of Peace) candle lighting ceremonies held at Quezon Memorial Circle last Tuesday night. 

Peace: - calm, repose, freedom from disturbance, war or hostilities as well as tumult and commotion. 

A German sayings goes like this: "Ein Friede ist besser als 10 Siege!" One peace is better then ten victories.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God!" (Matthew 5:9).

Also as an expat living in the Philippines and knowing the Philippines, especially Mindanao since the early 1980s, I wish us peace. In Mindanao, in the Philippines, and of course, in the whole world!

Do YOU pay YOUR taxes ON TIME?

As an expat living in the Philippines and doing several businesses and having certain incomes I do pay my taxes on time.

Other people don't care!

It was really interesting to learn, that the Philippine Bureau of internal Revenue's campaign against tax evaders and tax cheats is slowly (but surely) paying off after a popular Philippine television and movie personality paid 17 million Pesos in tax obligations after learning that she is the subject of the next tax evasion case to be filed supposedly by the BIR.

No names have been mentioned, but according to well-placed sources at the Bureau, a female television and movie personality of the Philippines, a daughter also of a well known actor and actress (separated for many years now!) has paid the 17 million last week. Good. Congrats! Why not?

Last October 21, the BIR has filed charges against controversial film and television director Carlo J. Caparas for his failure to pay the right amount of taxes. The case against him marks the Aquino's administration's first tax case against a high-profile television and movie personality. I hope, more cases are on the road.